Recognized by that drawled 'barkhurdaar' in his steely voice, Indian film industry's most hated reel life villain, Pran Krishan Sikand - or Pran (February 12, 1920 - July 12, 2013), as the movie credits and fans always called him, was born into a wealthy family in Delhi.
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Pran acted in over 400 movies in a career spanning over six decades and made smooth, seamless transitions from a hero to a villain to a character artist, playing each role with rare finesse, his 'extra touch' ensuring that each was different from the other.
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Such was Pran's stature that he was billed last in the credits as 'and Pran' to highlight his importance. His name evoked such terror that it's said no child was named Pran between the '60s and '70s. (BCCL)

It was Manoj Kumar's Upkaar (1967) that brought a sea change in his career. People advised Manoj against casting Pran in the role of the straight speaking Malang Chacha but the director's conviction paid off.
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"Throughout an estimable career, (Pran) used his eyes, voice, diction, facial mobility and body language to powerful effect. He could memorize reams of dialogue just by glancing at the sheets of paper handed over to him on the sets, more often than not a minute before the call of lights, action, camera. He never made a mistake, the lines flowing smoothly from a photographic memory," was how the legendary Amitabh Bachchan described him a few years ago. (BCCL)